Is Gerrit Cole’s Velocity a Worrying Sign for New York Yankees?

Gerrit Cole's velocity was down for the New York Yankees against the New York Mets, a potentially concerning sign.

Jun 25, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts as New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees struggles continued on Tuesday night against the New York Mets. With ace Gerrit Cole on the mound, the hope was for him to start showing that he was returning to form.

Throwing four innings, the 2023 Cy Young Award winner allowed six earned runs, giving up four home runs along the way. Allowing four walks and not striking out anyone, this was as bad of a start as imaginable for the right-hander.

Perhaps the most concerning sign was his velocity. Cole, who had an average fastball velocity of 96.7 MPH last year, according to Baseball Savant, had an average fastball of 95.4 MPH on Tuesday.

He topped out around 99 MPH, but some of the home runs he gave up saw his velocity down in a concerning way.

He allowed home runs on a 92.3 MPH fastball, 91.5 MPH fastball, and 93.2 MPH fastball.

Cole threw five 4-seam fastballs with a pitch velocity of 94.0 MPH or lower in the 2nd inning. That was his most below 94.0 MPH since he joined the Yankees.

Aaron Judge spoke about some of his struggles but downplayed it, saying he wants him out there every five days, according to SNY.

"This is this guy's spring training. He's still working back. That's our ace, that's our guy. I want him out there every five days."

Instead of making any excuses about his lack of pitching due to injury, Cole recognized that he didn't have it on Tuesday when speaking with reporters.

"Disappointing. Didn't really give us a good chance to win tonight. Didn't really execute enough good pitches, just kind of dug us a hole."

His fastball velocity being down certainly brings worries, but it's important to add context.

Cole shared with reporters that he intentionally dialed back his velocity as his start progressed because he was lacking command, comparing it to driving a car and using less clutch.

If Cole still doesn't have it a month from now, it could be time to press the panic button, but for now, there's not much to be worried about.

Similar to how Judge struggled to start the season, and New York fans overreacted, this often happens when players aren't on the mound for an extended period of time.

As the Yankees hit the trade market over the next few weeks, however, adding another arm might not be a bad idea. If Cole returns to what he was, having another arm would be an added bonus.

If, for some reason, he isn't fully healthy, they have to have a backup plan. Either way, he's likely needed to win a World Series, so hopefully, he gets back on track before October.